Protecting a massive freshwater swamp forest only a mile and a half from the Atlantic Ocean, Graham Swamp Preserve encompasses over 3,000 acres.
Most of this is very wet and impenetrable, a haven for wildlife and a recharge area for rainfall within the subdivisions of Palm Coast.
But on a network of trails extending from multiple trailheads and community access points, visitors can explore the edges of this floodplain where Bulow Creek rises.

Resources
Resources for exploring the area
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Overview
Location: Palm Coast
Graham Swamp West: 1125 Old Kings Hwy, Palm Coast [29.537617, -81.206067]
Graham Swamp East: 5140 Colbert Ln, Palm Coast [29.50829, -81.16157]
Fees: None
Restroom: Portable toilet may be in place at Graham Swamp East. A real restroom with water fountain is at the Lehigh Trail trailhead [29.50168, -81.15919] on Colbert Ln.
Land manager: Flagler County
Phone: 386-313-4020
Open daylight hours. Leashed pets permitted. A visitor has reported venomous snakes living under the bridge on the Graham Swamp West Red Trail; use extreme caution.
Directions
From Interstate 95 exit 289, Palm Coast, drive east on Palm Coast Pkwy and turn right on Old Kings Rd. Continue south 1.4 miles to the Graham Swamp West trailhead on the left.
For the Graham Swamp East trailhead, stay on Palm Coast Pkwy past Old Kings Rd. In anoth 0.8 mile turn right on Colbert Ln. Drive 4.7 miles to the trailhead on the right. The Lehigh Trail trailhead is another half mile past it on the right.
About the Preserve
Since our initial visit to Graham Swamp Conservation Area more than two decades ago for 50 Hikes in North Florida , recreation opportunities have expanded greatly.
That’s largely thanks to Flagler County and the cycling community, creating the natural-surface Graham Swamp Trail and the trail system on its east side.

The interior of Graham Swamp, however, is still a wild and wooly freshwater wetland where Bulow Creek rises to flow south.
Previously managed by St. Johns Water Management District, Graham Swamp is now overseen by Flagler County as conservation land.

Biking
The flat, easy, and well-packed 2 mile Graham Swamp Trail extends from the Graham Swamp West trailhead to a paved side path along Colbert Ln.
In either direction, the side path interconnects with a bike trail system through Palm Coast which ties St. Joes Walkway Linear Park to Waterfront Park, making a big loop possible.

Serious off-road cyclists should head for the twisty singletrack route at Graham Swamp East, a 5.5-mile loop atop a steep sand ridge.
Built and maintained by local volunteers, the loop has steep drops and technical sections best tackled by more experienced riders.

A half mile south of Graham Swamp East is the eastern trailhead for the Lehigh Trail. A side path along Colbert Ln connects the two trailheads.
Extending 6.7 miles across Palm Coast, the Lehigh Trail follows a former railroad route all the way to US 1.

The easternmost 2.3 miles of the Lehigh Trail traverses Graham Swamp on a berm above the floodplain.
From its trailhead on Colbert Ln, the ride is a 13.8 mile round trip with several busy road crossings en route. Add an extra mile if you start your ride at Graham Swamp East.

Hiking
The initial mile-long trail in Graham Swamp we hiked for 50 Hikes starts at the west trailhead, which is also home to an observation deck looking over a showy pond.
On a revisit, we found the connector and loop beyond the pond far more difficult to follow, the lush landscape swallowing up the second half of the red-blazed trail route.

Graham Swamp West
Circle placid blackwater ponds amid a freshwater swamp forest near to the Atlantic Coast.
If the old hiking trail isn’t fully passable, it’s still easy to follow the cleared path around the pond counterclockwise from the kiosk for a half mile loop.
Panoramas of the lily-dotted pond grab your attention at several locations along the loop, which transitions from bayhead to sand pine scrub before reaching the Graham Swamp Trail.

At Graham Swamp East, a 2.2-mile hiking trail follows the top of the sand ridge east of the swamp, sharing the mountain bike trailhead.
The kiosk map shows it as a linear hike atop the ridge, crossing the bike loop twice. We have not had the opportunity to hike it yet.

The Graham Swamp portion of the Lehigh Trail makes for a nice hike out of the Lehigh Trail trailhead, accessed by 0.2-mile walk along a side path to its entry point on Colbert Ln.
Starting with a boardwalk over a portion of the swamp, it transitions to an old railroad right-of-way, a berm above surrounding marshes and forest.

While linear, it is well shaded and has one spot close to Kings Hwy where you can follow a beaten path to the right for a scenic waterway view.
A round-trip walk from the Lehigh Trail trailhead to Kings Hwy and back along this easternmost stretch of the rail-trail is 4.6 miles.

Similarly, the Graham Swamp Trail provides a nicely shaded round-trip walk out of Graham Swamp West trailhead.
Working its way around the northern edge of Graham Swamp, it crosses a variety of bridges and boardwalks before terminating after 2 miles.
Interconnect with the paved trail system in Palm Coast to add more miles, or return the way you came for a 4 mile round trip.

Trail Map
Explore More!
Slideshow
See our photos from Graham Swamp Preserve
Nearby Adventures
More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

Bulow Woods Loop
Stretching 5.2 miles through an primordial forest of sluggish, fern-lined waterways, ancient live oaks, magnolias, and cabbage palms, the Bulow Woods Loop is one of North Florida’s most scenic hikes

Princess Place Preserve
Gentle loop trails showcase wild spaces and cultivated grounds at Princess Place Preserve, an 1880s homestead on Pellicer Creek with a campground on site.

Betty Steflik Memorial Preserve
Betty Steflik Memorial Preserve protects more than 200 acres of mangrove marsh, mud flats, and coastal uplands right on the edge of downtown Flagler Beach

Bella Vista Trail
With a 1.8-mile loop through the uplands of Washington Oaks Gardens State Park, the Bella Vista Trail offers a close look at the variety of habitats found on this barrier island